Baked Figs With Honey and Whiskey Sauce

Baked figs are sweetened with honey, kicked up with Scotch whiskey, and topped with toasted hazelnuts for a light dessert that is far from ordinary.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 figs

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup hazelnuts
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 1⁄4 cup  scotch or 1⁄4 cup  other  whiskey
• 8  large fresh figs or 12  small fresh figs
•  butter-flavored cooking spray
•  mint sprig (to garnish) (optional)

Directions

1. Toast hazelnuts in a 400-degree oven for 5 minutes. Put them in a tea towel and rub them against each other to remove skins. Chop and set aside. Raise oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
2. Combine honey and Scotch whiskey in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring. Turn off heat.
3. Meanwhile, cut off stems of figs then cut in half, lengthwise. Spray an gratin dish large enough to hold all the figs in one layer with butter-flavor spray. Put in figs, cut side up. Drizzle with honey-Scotch mixture. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, depending on size, or just until they soften but are not falling apart. Cool to warm and put 4 to 6 fig halves on each of 4 serving plates. Spoon pan juices over figs. If desired, put a mint sprig in the middle.